Suffering with dry, flaky, rash-ridden or oily skin but no idea what’s causing it? It could well be related to your daily shower. Indeed, according to experts, millions of us are making the same crucial mistakes when we wash our bodies and these faux pas are wreaking havoc with our skin. Here, we’ve called on three experts to break down the 7 mistakes most of us make during our shower that are damaging our skin.
1. Hot showers
Taking long hours in the shower especially during the winter months when you’re bathing in hot water, can dry out your skin. Hot water when applied on the skin makes the skin dry and sensitive. It breaks the moisture barrier and thus, gives it a cracking effect. To avoid such instances, have a bath with warm water that will not shock the skin.
2. Staying in the shower too long
Many of don’t know this but showering for a long time can strip away all the essential oils that your body contains.
3. Not cleaning the loofah
When you’re taking a bath, you have to always remember to wash your loofah too. You loofah is sitting in the bathroom throughout the time when the atmosphere is dense and humid. This can cause bacteria to sit on it for a long time causing irritation when applied on the skin. Clean your loofah every week to ensure that it is red of all the harmful bacteria and dust.
4. Not moisturizing immediately
One major mistake that we all make is not moisturising immediately after a shower. After the shower, the skin is damp and this helps better penetration of the cream to enter and nourish the skin cells. When the skin is extremely dry, the cells are already tight and that doesn’t let the cream to penetrate well.
5. Using the wrong cleansers
Sometimes you’re using a cleanser that is simply damaging your skin. Always make sure to look at the ingredients before buying a product. Make sure that your product doesn’t contain any alcohol, essential oil or any other ingredient that you’re allergic to.
6. Scrubbing too hard
If you’re using a physical exfoliator, do not scrub the skin too hard. This creates micro-abrasions in the skin, thus, making it worse than what it was. Exfoliation helps in removing the dead skin cells effectively but when done too hard, it creates tears on the skin.
7. Washing hair with hot water
Just like the body, washing the hair to hot water is simply not advisable. You can end up getting dandruff or an itchy scalp. If it’s winter, then wash your hair separately with lukewarm water and then rinse it off with cold water in order to avoid any damage.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.
Sources: glamourmagazine.co.uk, timesnownews.com
